Fantasy Baseball 2011: 5 Waiver-Wire Starters Worth Grabbing

If you don’t have a Josh Johnson, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Felix Hernandez or Tim Lincecum on your pitching staff, you are probably looking for ways to improve that area of your team. Without having to resort to trading, there are plenty of valuable guys on the waiver wire that can help out your team.

They won’t put up numbers like the elite starters will, but they’ll give you strong outings that will keep your team competitive. And, they are owned in less than 50% of Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball leagues.

Here are five starters to keep your eye on if you need a pitching boost:

1. Ryan Vogelsong, San Francisco Giants (15% owned) – Vogelsong is 3-0 right now, with 24 strikeouts and a 2.36 ERA. But, he’s overshadowed in the loaded San Francisco rotation that includes Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner. However, Vogelsong is pitching well enough that he should be able to keep his rotation spot when Barry Zito comes off the disabled list. Add him to your team and keep him for as long as he’s hot.

2. Homer Bailey, Cincinnati Reds (45%) – Bailey is back from the DL and better than ever after missing all of April. He’s pitched in three games this month, winning them all. He currently stands at 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA and 16 strikeouts. Oh, and the Reds are hot now, so Bailey should continue to pile up the wins.

3. Tyson Ross, Oakland A’s (10%) – Ross is pitching in relative anonymity in Oakland. But, so far this season, he’s amassed a 3-2 record with a 2.50 ERA and 24 strikeouts. He hasn’t allowed more than three runs in a start this season, and could very well be 8-0 if the A’s could provide him some run support.

4. Charlie Morton, Pittsburgh Pirates (9%) – Morton isn’t going to pile up the strikeouts. He’s also a little wild, with 24 walks to go with his 24 strikeouts. But, he has amassed four wins for the lowly Pirates, a very impressive feat. His 3.13 ERA is manageable. Keep him in mind when scouring the waiver wire for spot starters.